There were more martyrs in the 20th Century than in all the previous centuries combined – and the deaths continue apace.

Religious persecution and marginalization are no longer the just the problem of our European brothers and sisters, but have become a daily reality for American Catholics who dare to actually practice the faith.

Around the world, religious wars are being fought, and famine among people of faith is spreading. For Christians, this just may be the worst time globally in the history of mankind.

But what can one person do?

If you listen to the messages that Our Lady of Fatima proclaimed in the 20th Century, the answer for Catholics is plenty!

“While Our Lady of Fatima came for all of God’s children and to save all of our souls, the requests she made are specifically Catholic,” said Deacon Bob Ellis, National Coordinator of the World Apostolate of Fatima. “Who else has rosaries, scapulars, and the Eucharist?”

World Apostolate of Fatima Executive Director David M. Carollo, National Director Deacon Bob Ellis, and Communications Director David Greiner at EWTN. “We are a public association of the faithful,” says Corollo. “We speak as the voice of the Vatican, the church, on Fatima. We want people to learn, live and spread the message of Fatima.”

This doesn’t make us better, but it does make us more responsible for changing the world, which is the message of the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF), one of many organizations that have come to EWTN in the past few weeks to film an episode of EWTN’s new series, “The Church Universal,” which is slated to air in the Fall of 2014. Watch for WAF Executive Director David M. Carollo, and Communications Director David Greiner in addition to Deacon Ellis.

“We are a public association of the faithful,” says Corollo. “We speak as the voice of the Vatican, the church, on Fatima. We want people to learn, live and spread the message of Fatima.”

What is the message? “Our Lady came to save souls from hell and to bring peace,” said Deacon Ellis. “Both of those things are accomplished through the conversion of sinners. When you turn away from sin, you are saved from hell and peace will come to the world. The means of bringing about that conversion is reparation.”

And reparation is the message of Fatima. Those who join WAF pledge to offer up daily sacrifices for the conversion of sinners (morning offering), to pray the rosary every day, to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel as a sign of their consecration and to live what it represents, and to practice the five First Saturday Communions of Reparation.

Fatima Book by the late Father Robert J. Fox. Find out more below!

“We have those four things on our pledge,” said Deacon Eillis, which can be found of the organization’s website (see link below). “A fifth request is implied. Our Lady revealed to us that Jesus wants devotion to her Immaculate Heart to spread throughout the world and to be placed beside the Sacred Heart. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart consists primarily in honoring her Fatima devotional requests and derivatives thereof: total consecration and home enthronement.”

This is a serious responsibility for Catholics since Our Lady said that many people go to hell because there is no one to make reparation for their sins.

“A day doesn’t go by now that we don’t get whacked by something,” Deacon Ellis said. “This is the world we’ve built. One of the biggest issues is indifference because of ‘tolerance.’ It’s been hammered into our heads. Love the sinner, but hate the sin – but admonish the sinner. We’ve lost our voice. We’ve had this belief that good and evil can co-exist. They cannot. How much do you love a person? You want the relationship, but even more you want to save them from hell. If you have to suffer the consequences of losing some friendships — that is part of it.”

How can you learn more? WAF offers many resources through EWTN including:

Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. She calls us to make reparation not only for our own sins, but those of others. Will we listen?

“Change the world” – by learning, living and spreading the message of Fatima. That’s WAF’s slogan, but it’s also the message from Our Lady of Fatima.

“This isn’t an option,” said Deacon Ellis. “Change the world or the world will absorb you and will kill you and your culture. The promise is that [ultimately] this won’t happen. They are winning battles; we will win the war. You can win, but you can suffer a lot of casualties. Do yourself a favor and change the world – because we are all capable of it.”

Doris, EWTN’s Theology Department tells me this: Not everything in the liturgy is regulated by norm, esp. Sacred art. The one norm touching on it is that there must be a crux visible at Mass. Tradition ascribes this as for the meditation of the celebrant.